Netanyahu's rivals see Democratic win as chance to oust him

Benjamin Netanyahu's political opponents are using the Democratic Party's victory in the US midterm elections as evidence that he squandered generations of bipartisan American support for Israel, while seeking to form a government without him. Democrats won majorities in both the US Senate and House in Tuesday's elections, a rejection of President Donald Trump's policies driven partly by public discontent with the war on Iran. The US vote came one week after Israeli elections, where Netanyahu's right-wing coalition lost its parliamentary majority but performed well enough to prevent his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, from immediately replacing him. Israeli President Isaac Herzog will hold consultations with party representatives Wednesday and Thursday before tasking someone with forming the next government. Netanyahu remains acting prime minister in a caretaker government. Opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Yair Golan called Netanyahu toxic and a security risk, while Eisenkot pledged to rebuild ties with Washington. Analysts expect the Democratic-controlled Congress to be the most hostile toward Israel in its history.